Keeping Up With the Kaune's: Memoir Monday-February Love Edition-How Nick and I became a couple

When Nick transferred to the elementary school we teach at in the fall of 2007, we were both in relationships. We also taught at opposite ends of the school, so I really didn't get to know him at all. Then, one day in February 2009, my co-worker/friend/roomie Sara told me that "Mr. Kaune thought I was hot and wanted to know if I had a boyfriend." Sara taught Special Ed at our school and she served several of Nick's students so they had become friends. My awful, mean, shallow response: "he's not my type, too short and skinny." Ugh...I cringe when I think about the fact that I said that. Ever since high school I had always dated the SAME type of guys, tall and stocky. In fact, the three serious relationships I had before Nick? ALL of them were former football players. However, all 3 of them had something else in common. They all treated me like crap. Why I did not realize that at the time? I guess because I was 24 and naive.

Fast forward to the first week in May. Our co-worker hosted a barbeque at her house. Nick is there. He sits down by me and starts talking to me. We talk for over an hour. I realize I am an idiot. Not only is he super easy to talk to and funny but he's so sweet! That Monday at school, I remember he was wearing a yellow polo shirt and I kept thinking "yes, he may be short but he is hot! Why am I just now noticing this?"

This was the first picture we ever took together, at our co-worker's party.

That next weekend was my 25th birthday and my friend Lynnsey and I were having a joint birthday party at a local club. We had rented a VIP area. I invited a few co-workers to come and decided to invite Nick. Well Saturday came and our other two male co-workers, Corey and Matt, showed up but no Nick. They said he was sick and couldn't make it. I was soooo disappointed. I thought for sure I had blown my chance with him because of what I had said a few months earlier. The next day Sara and I were sitting at home watching a movie. I still remember what it was, "He's Just Not That Into You." Bahahaha. I told Sara jokingly that I was pretty sure Nick was "just not that into me." She took out her phone and texted him and said "Look Carol is interested in you but thinks you're just not that into her. What's the deal?" LOL. I still love how she used the line from the movie! He texted back and said "geez can't a guy be sick? What's her number?" Right after that he started texting me.

It was so silly because we texted nonstop that week but everytime we saw each other at school, we would just grin and say "hi." Finally, that weekend we went on a double date with Sara and her then boyfriend now husband Greg. That night we had our first kiss and after that we were pretty much inseperable. Thankfully, school was out the following week, so had the whole summer to spend together without people gossiping at school. We made it official on June 8th, 2009. Nick asked me to be his girlfriend with a "check yes or no" note. He also went up to our school that day and talked to our principal about the fact that we liked each other more than friends. My principal thought it was super cute and was okay with it just so long as "we weren't affectionate at school" Well duh! My principal also asked, "what's going to happen if ya'll break up? Won't it be awkward for you to work together?" Nick replied very firmly "we aren't going to break up." And he was right! We got engaged a little over 6 months later on December 12th, 2009 and married on October 2nd, 2010. A lot of people ask if we get sick of working together and the answer is "no!" We still teach at opposite ends of school so we don't even really see each other much at school.

Double date with Sara and Greg

So, that's our love story, starting out with me being a total bitch. In the end though, I think the timing couldn't have been better. That February, I honestly still wasn't completely over my loser ex and I think I needed more time to just be me and discover what I wanted from a relationship. If I could do it again, I wouldn't have it any other way. I just might not have said the "short and skinny" comment! Hahahahaha.